Through his and her eyes
by super-genin
Summary: A two part series of short first person narratives. First one deals with Renji and Rukia while the second with Orihime and Ichigo.


**Title: For whom do you take up the sword?  
**

**Genre: **Romance

**Rating: **K+

**Characters: **Abarai Renji, Kuchiki Rukia, Kuchiki Byakuya

**Summary: **Abarai Renji reflects on his life so far and the reason he fights. First person POV.

**Warnings: **Mild SS and Arrancar arc spoilers

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach and its characters. It's all property of the brilliant Kubo Taito. kthx.

* * *

I sat at my office in the Sixth Division headquarters feeling a bit exhausted. I just got back from a mission in the material world and found some paperwork to do on my desk. All were stamped urgent. Having no choice, I started working. "At least this is less than what Hitsugaya-taichou needs to work on!" was my mantra as I worked on it. Three hours later, I finished the paperwork and dumped them into the "Accomplished" box at the main office. Tired and bored, I headed out for a walk. I might just bump into her along the way.

Just as I exited the office, I met an all-too familiar face at the doorway. Kuchiki Byakuya. The one man I worked all my life to surpass. The one man I wanted to be better than… to be worthy of her.

"Good afternoon, Kuchiki-taichou." I greeted with a polite bow.

"Good afternoon." He replied in his usual regal air. "Rukia is by the Thirteenth Division training grounds."

"Wha? Why? I…", I stuttered. That was completely random. I haven't even asked about Rukia. Is he psychic? As I was lost in my thoughts, Kuchiki-taichou had left me. I thought it was kind of strange. My mind kept on wandering. I just walked on, drifting in my thoughts.

"Mae! Sode no Shirayuki!"

Just as she came into view, I spotted her releasing her zanpakutou. Some training dummies were around her, and she was able to freeze all of them in an instant. We've both grown in leaps and bounds from the little orphans we were in Rukongai. Just for fun, I sneaked closer, suppressing my reiatsu as much as I could. The tall grass also helped.

"Hoero! Zabimaru!"

She noticed the sudden appearance of my reiatsu. I released my zanpakutou and swung it towards her. She blocked it with her sword, pushing my blade away. I retracted Zabimaru and sealed it again.

"Kuchiki Rukia! You're good!" I congratulated her, after giving a hearty laugh.

"Renji! Idiot!" She shouted back at me. She scaled the small hill I stood on in an instant and gave me a friendly but hard punch… to my face. "Don't interrupt me like that again!"

"Ow." I rubbed my cheek. This was just like the good old days in Rukongai where we played together. "I guess that's your version of hello."

"And yours is swinging Zabimaru at me!" she retorted. "You're an idiot as always!"

"Not as much as you are!" I answered back. We were like kids again, teasing each other like that. I suddenly felt happy and content.

"If you want to spar, tell me face-to-face." she told me, slightly annoyed.

"I'll pass. I'll just sit here and watch." I declined as I sat down on the ground.

"Suit yourself." She said rather coldly. She began walking back down the hill. Suddenly, she turned and broke into a smile. "Oh, and… Hello." She beamed sweetly at me. I could only smile in return.

I leaned back and let myself fall into a lying position. The seemingly endless blue sky above stretched in all directions. The images of us as kids in Rukongai, as students in the Academy, her adoption by the Kuchiki clan, her in my arms as we ran away from Soukyoku, all flashed through my mind. The forty years have left a gaping hole in my heart. What a cheesy thought. But I don't care. Now all I need to do is to make it up to her to fill that hole.

"Those forty years…" I said aloud. "I'm gonna make up for it."

Where was I when she needed me the most? Shiba Kaien died, and I wasn't there to comfort her. It was for her that I wanted to become strong in the first place. I spent forty years working hard for me to be strong. But how will I know if I don't fight for her sake? I want to hold her in my arms, to tell her everything will be alright as long as we're by each other's side. It is for her that I take up the sword. It's because I want to be with her… more than anything else.

"What did you say? I didn't hear you well!" came her voice from a distance.

I stood up and grinned. "And I'm gonna start right now!"

* * *

This is the first of my planned two-part series about my two favorite pairings in Bleach: RenjiRuki and IchiHime. I might write a crack UnoKen third part if I find the time and inspiration. Hehe. 


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